The administration of US President Donald Trump plans to build a 5,000-strong military base in Gaza. This is clear from documents from the Peace Council, which will hold its first meeting in Washington today, the Guardian reported.
The site is planned as a military operational base for the future International Stabilization Force (ISF), part of the newly created Peace Council, which is designed to govern Gaza. The Peace Council is chaired by Donald Trump and is partly run by his son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The plans call for the phased construction of a military post that will eventually measure 1,400 meters by 1,100 meters, surrounded by 26 armored observation towers mounted on trailers, a small arms firing range, bunkers and a warehouse for military equipment for operations. The entire base will be surrounded by barbed wire.
According to a source close to the matter, a small group of bidders - international construction companies with experience in war zones - have already visited the area.
In addition, the documents show that the Indonesian government has offered to send up to 8,000 soldiers. The Indonesian president was one of four Southeast Asian leaders scheduled to attend the inaugural meeting of the Peace Council in Washington today.
The military base contract document was issued by the Peace Council, according to a person familiar with the process, and was prepared with the help of American contracting officials. The plans show a network of bunkers, each measuring 6 meters by 4 meters and 2.5 meters high, with sophisticated ventilation systems where soldiers can hide.
"The contractor shall conduct a geophysical survey of the site to identify any possible underground cavities, tunnels or large cavities for each phase," the document says. This provision is likely to refer to the extensive network of tunnels built by Hamas in Gaza.
One section describes a "Human Remains Protocol". "If suspected human remains or cultural artifacts are discovered, all work in the immediate vicinity must cease immediately, the area must be secured, and the contracting officer must be notified immediately for instructions," the section states.
It is not clear who will own the land where the military complex will be built, but much of southern Gaza is currently under Israeli control.
A Trump administration official declined to comment on the documents, saying, "As the president has said, no American combatants will be on site. We will not discuss leaked documents," he said.